The Athenians defeated an invading Persian army during the Battle of Marathon.

Hastings, England, 14 October 1066

In the last successful invasion of England, the Norman and French army under William, Duke of Normandy, defeated the Saxons under King Harold. Harold was killed and William, who became known as William the Conqueror was crowned King of England.

Crecy, France, 26 August 1346

During the Hundred Years War, 9,000 English soldiers under Edward III defeated a French army of 30,000 under the command of King Philip IV of France.

Agincourt, France, 25 October 1415

Despite being heavily outnumbered (5,700 against 25,000) the English army under King Henry V defeated the French decisively. This gained them control of much of France.

Naseby, England, 14 June 1645

In the English Civil War Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army defeated the Royalist army of King Charles I. The king was later taken prisoner and executed.

Yorktown, America, 6-19 October 1781

In the American War of Independence, the British were forced to surrender by the American army. The Americans were led by General George Washington, later the first president of the USA.

Waterloo, Belgium, 18 June 1815

During the Napoleonic Wars the Emperor Napoleon's army fought against the British and allies under the Duke of Wellington. Britain and the allies won and Napoleon was sent into exile.

Gettysburg, USA, 1-3 July 1863

During this important American Civil War battle the Union Army defeated the Confederate (Southern) army under General Robert E. Lee.

Somme, France, 1 July-18 November 1916

During the World War I the British army under General Sir Douglas Haig attempted to end the stalemate of trench warfare against the German army. This led to the first two battles of the Somme river. Neither side gained any advantage and both suffered massive casualties.

El Alamein, Egypt, 1-27 July and 23 October-4 November 1942

These two World War II battles were fought in the desert when the British 8th Army under Lieutenenat-General Bernard Montgomery eventually crushed the German and Italian armies under field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

Stalingrad, USSR, 19 August 1942-2 February 1943

During World War II the German 6th Army was surrounded by the Soviet army in Stalingrad (now Volgograd) and suffered huge casualties in an extended siege.

Desert Shield/Storm/Sabre, Iraq/Kuwait, 16 January-27 February 1991

These Gulf War campaigns were a response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. Coalition forces led by the USA drove the Iraqis out through a combination of air and land attack.

Major Wars:

War

Date

Principal combatants

Peloponnesian War

431-404 BC

Sparta V Athens

Punic Wars

264-146 BC

Rome v Carthage

Crusades

1095-1291

Christians v Muslims

Hundred Years War

1337-1543

England V France

Wars of the Roses

1455-85

York v Lancaster

Thirty Years Wars

1618-48

Catholic v Protestant forces in Europe

English Civil War

1642-51

Crown v Parliament

War of the Spanish Succession

1701-14

France v Grand Alliance (of other European countries)

War of the Austrian Succession

1740-48

France, Spain, Bavaria, Savoy, Netherlands, Prussia v Britain

Seven Years War

1756-63

Austria, Russia, France, Portugal, Sweden, Britain, Poland v Prussia

American War of Independence

1775-83

America V Britain

Napoleonic Wars

1792-1815

Britain, Austria, Russia, Sweden, Naples v France

War of 1812

1812-15

USA v Britain

Mexico-American War

1846-48

Mexico v USA

Crimean War

1853-56

Russia v Turkey, Britian, France, Sardinia

American Civil War

1861-65

North v Confederate (Southern) states

Franco-Prussian War

1870-71

France v Germany

Chinese-Japanese War

1894-95

China v Japan

Spanish-American War

1898

Spain v USA

Boer War

1899-1902

Boers (South Africa) v Britain

Russo-Japanese War

1904-05

Russia v Japan

World War I

1914-18

Allies v Germany and others

Chinese-Japanese War

1931-33

China v Japan

Spanish Civil War

1936-39

Nationalists v Republicans

Chinese Japanese War

1937-45

China v Japan

World War II

1939-45

Allies v Germany and others (Axis powers)

Korean War

1950-53

North Korea (with Chinese aid) v South Korea (supported by USA)

Vietnam War

1957-75

North Veitnam v South Vietnam (with US aid)

Falklands War

1982

Britain v Argentina

Gulf War

1991

Allied forces v Iraq

'War on Terror'

2001-

USA and allies v al-Qaeda (Taliban in Afghanistan)

Iraq War

2003

USA and allies v Iraq

Youngest medal winners:

US-

William Johnston was a drummer who won the Congressional Medal of Honor (America's highest military award) when he was 12. The award was for bravery in action during the Seventh Day Battle and Peninsular Campaign on 1862.

UK-

Andrew Fitzgibbon, an Irish hospital apprentice was awarded Britain's highest military honor, the Victoria Cross when he was only 15. He won the medal for bravery during the action on 21 August 1860 at the Taku Forts (China).